Vincent Black Shadow

VINCENT BLACK SHADOW-A PARAGON OF ENGINEERING
What made Vincent famous and their bikes so prestigious at the time was their extreme quality. Owner Phil Vincent didn't mess around when it came to building and designing the best motorcycles in the world at the time. And they literally were, or close to it. In fact, Vincent called the Black Shadow "The World's Fastest Motorcycle" and it actually was. A modified Black Shadow was the first to break the 150mhp-barrier on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1948, performed by Rollie Free in only a bathing suit! Check out the whole story of the 'Bathing Suit Bike'. Advanced features abounded on Vincent Motorcycles. Among them was a unique-to-Vincent system of two valve guides per valve, one set high and one low with a forked rocker arm actuating the valve in the space between the two. It was intended to keep the valve travel dead-straight to fight valve guide wear, a big problem back then, and it worked commendably.

BLACK SHADOW PRODUCTION NUMBERS
Vincent was a low-volume producer of high-quality motorcycles, and high-priced for the time. From the end of WWII until their demise in 1955, they barely produced 11,000 bikes total, including mostly single-cylinder Comets and Meteors. And sales were slow and getting worse nearing the end, so Vincent Black Shadows were probably only produced in a few hundred per year. Upon closing the company, founder Phil Vincent swore that Vincent parts would always be available, and indeed they are. A tribute to the motorcycle, and to the man. Today, Vincents, all Vincents, but especially Black Shadows, are extremely valuable and much sought-after by collectors and investors alike. Their rarity certainly doesn't hurt (only about 1,700 Black Shadows were produced over their entire lifespan), but their impeccable engineering, stunning performance and 'coolness-factor' are just off the charts!